Winter Garden Design

Garden Design Tips And Ideas For Winter

Generally, we think of a garden as a thing of beauty in the spring and summer and perhaps in autumn, but your garden can also be lovely in the winter if you plan for beauty. Plants with interesting or artistic winter characteristics as well as garden ornaments and features that have whimsy, intrinsic beauty, or strong contrast with the landscape are fundamental to a beautiful garden in winter.

The best plants for any garden are ones that are native or adapted to your area. These plants will require less care and will look better with less effort than plants that are not suited to your soil, rainfall, and temperatures. So for beauty in the winter garden start by narrowing your selection down to plants that will do well in your gardening zone. Ask your local nursery for suggestions.

Next consider plants that have winter berries, colored bark, lovely branches, or are evergreen. By including these types of plants among the perennials and annuals that you typically use, you can add color, contrast, and form that will make your garden appealing without blooms. Another benefit of adding plants that have berries and winter foliage is that wild birds are attracted to these plants. Bringing birds into your garden adds life and interest to your garden in winter. Research plants to find those that attract the types of birds in your area that you want to visit you and include those in your garden. Keeping fresh water out will also attract birds. Empty your bird bath in hard freezing conditions. Letting water freeze solid can damage or ruin your bird bath.

There are many garden ornaments and features to make your winter garden more appealing. A sundial surrounded by pansies is beautiful in warmer zones, but in areas where snow is frequent the sundial can be a centerpiece for other garden ornaments and furniture and looks beautiful covered with a soft blanket of snow. A bench or other seats, accompanied by metal or stone garden statues, can add interest to a hibernating garden. Trellises and iron gates can also provide a graphic contrast to a white landscape.

Another feature that adds interest and beauty to your garden is a pathway. Even in winter pathways can be charming especially if they are laid out so that they lead to interesting objects, such as a beautiful wrought iron gate or a hidden garden room. Stone pavers, cobblestone, brick, pebbles, and even mulch all make pathways interesting and functional. Consider the formality of your garden when choosing material for the pathway. The more effort put into arranging the materials the more formal the look.

Fall maintenance in your garden, including pruning shrubs and mulching plants, keeps the winter garden looking tidy. Be sure to check your gardening book or with your nursery concerning which plants require fall pruning. Avoid autumn pruning of plants that bloom on old growth or your spring garden won’t be as beautiful as you want. An aromatic mulch such as cypress bark or cedar bark brings a light, pleasant fragrance to the winter garden. Use your lawnmower to mulch autumn leaves to enrich the soil.

While your garden is in winter hibernation, you can dream of spring blooms, study nursery catalogs, and plan your spring plantings while enjoying the beauty of your winter garden in repose.